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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25671028">you steal the air out of my lungs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anymorejello/pseuds/anymorejello'>anymorejello</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Spencer Reid, Drunken Confessions, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Luke Alvez, Love Confessions, M/M, my babies are so cute</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:29:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25671028</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anymorejello/pseuds/anymorejello</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>spencer reid has been trying so hard to keep his completely inappropriate crush on his coworker luke a secret. when he's tasked with driving a very drunk luke home, his plans get a bit foiled. </p><p>alternatively, there are nowhere near enough ralvez fics and we need more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Alvez/Spencer Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>150</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. home sweet home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hey guys! this is just a little thing that i thought of and had to write. i'll probably make it only two chapters, maybe more if the mood strikes me. hope you enjoy :) </p><p>p.s. title of this fic from don't take the money by the bleachers</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>spencer put the car into park on the street in front of luke’s building. he had been dubbed a designated driver for a night of drinking after a particularly difficult case, and didn’t mind, seeing as he rarely drank and almost never got drunk. he was content to be with his friends (and see them home after the night ended). luke was his last stop, after dropping off garcia and jj, and then he would go back home to get some much needed rest. </p><p>luke giggled. “home sweet home” he chirped. spencer looked over at him, chuckling. luke could probably find his way into apartment on his own, but something nagging in spencer’s brain told him not to chance it. he got out of the car and walked to luke’s side, opening the door and helping him out. he slung an arm around the intoxicated man and led him to the door. </p><p>luke hummed appreciatively, and spencer’s heart skipped a beat. he inwardly chided himself. <i>come on spencer, not now.</i> his completely inappropriate workplace crush had weaseled its way to the surface of his mind again, and he was finding it harder to ignore as he and luke became closer. and now, he was walking to luke’s apartment, arm around him, and he couldn’t help the butterflies in his stomach.</p><p>“luke, we’re here. can i have your key?” he asked, stopping in front of apartment 15. luke smiled, leaning against the wall and fumbling around for his key. he pulled it out of his front pocket and handed it to spencer, then stumbled forward into him. spencer’s arms wrapped reflexively around him, catching him as he fell. luke braced himself on spencer’s shoulders, his face stopping within an inch of spencer. his heart stopped, and a beat passed as the men looked into each other’s eyes. luke blushed a deep crimson, sobering up a bit.</p><p>“sorry,” he mumbled, eyes darting around. spencer blushed and helped him back up, leaning him against the doorframe. he unlocked the door and led luke into the apartment. </p><p>luke’s apartment was close to what reid had expected. he was greeted with a neatly organized sitting room, likely organization picked up in his time in the military. there weren’t a ton of things strewn about, an occasional picture on a shelf. of course, there was a dog bed in the corner, which roxy was dozing in. she stirred as the two men walked into the apartment, but was too tired to get up. luke took a few steps before slumping onto the couch. </p><p>“thanks for helpin’ me in,” luke slurred, voice muffled by the pillow his face had landed on. spencer smiled. he stood awkwardly in front of the door, unsure of whether he should just leave. </p><p>“if you wan’ some water or somethin’, go ‘head,” luke said, turning over onto his back, letting out a groan. “ugh, my head hurts already,” he whined, more to himself than to spencer. </p><p>spencer placed his jacket and scarf on the side of the couch before going into the kitchen and opening a few cabinets to find the glasses. he filled a glass of water for himself and for luke, bringing the latter to the man slumped on the couch. he sat down on the edge of the couch and tapped luke on the shoulder, handing him the glass.</p><p>“aw, for me?” luke said with a grin. “you’re the best, spence.” he sat up, leaning his shoulder against spencer’s as he sipped his water. he put the glass down, then closed his eyes and laid his head on spencer’s shoulder. spencer’s heart fluttered once again at the action. he knew this was all just because luke was overtired and super drunk, but nevertheless he felt a warmth growing in his chest at the contact.</p><p>“spence, you’re so pretty,” luke mumbled into his shoulder. spencer blushed and laughed nervously. he ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>“w-what?” he asked, unsure that he had heard correctly. luke just sighed and stared at his water, head inching a little closer to spencer’s. </p><p>“you’re pretty, pretty boy,” he stated, a bit louder, smile present in his tone as he said it. spencer looked at luke, expecting him to be laughing, but was met with earnest eyes gazing into his own. spencer abruptly stood up, bringing his glass into the kitchen, the proximity to luke overwhelming and confusing. he placed his glass on the counter before turning back to the man. </p><p>“and you are intoxicated,” spencer said. “you don’t mean that, luke.” he shook his head. <i>don’t be foolish, spencer.</i></p><p>“no, spence, you’re like, sooo cute,” luke whined. he stood up and walked up to spencer, who was too stunned to reply. something in spencer held onto the glimmer of hope that this might be coming from a place of truth. he blushed, his neck heating up, and he tilted his eyes to look at the ground. luke smiled. </p><p>“spence, i have the <i>biggest</i> crush on you,” he said. he grabbed onto spencer’s arm with one hand and tilted his chin to look at him with the other. “i don’ even know how you didn’t know yet. penny’s been tryna get me to ask you out for <i>sooooo</i> long. she figured you prob’ly liked me too, but i was too chicken to say anything.”</p><p>spencer’s eyes widened. what was happening here? he stood, dumbfounded, grasping for something, anything to say, mouth agape. </p><p>“hm, i’ve never seen you speechless,” he said, blushing. his eyes scanned spencer’s face. “i wanna kiss you,” he asserted, jolting spencer from his thoughts. he let out a nervous laugh, sharp and loud and filling what little space was left between them. he was joking, right? spencer looked at luke, trying to read his expression. he looked serious, gaze more focused and steady, as if this confession had sobered him right up. he felt something change as he blushed. luke’s serious face had a new smile, one spencer hadn’t seen ever before. </p><p>the air had become warm, and something heavy hung between them. spencer’s heart thrummed in his chest. he gulped, his mouth feeling dry. running a hand through his hair, he tried to keep his emotions from overwhelming him. luke, with little inhibition left, ran his tongue over his lips and took another step towards spencer. spencer exhaled slowly, then stepped back. it couldn't be now, not like this.</p><p>“luke, i can’t. you’re drunk. i don’t want to take advantage of you,” he whispered, placing his hands up defensively. luke groaned.</p><p>“you’re not,” he whined, “i promise. kiss me.” his hands found spencer’s waist. he inhaled and inched closer to spencer, moving slowly, carefully. spencer melted at the touch. god, the perfect man was right in front of him, telling him everything he’d been wanting to hear, and he couldn’t do anything about it. spencer shook his head. </p><p>“i- i can’t. goodnight luke,” he said, and with that he snatched his jacket and exited the apartment hurriedly. face burning, spencer fled to his car as quickly as he could. he paused for a moment when he got in the car, sighing and attempting to sort out the thoughts racing through his head`. he chewed on his lip. how could you be this stupid? there was no way luke really meant any what he said. luke was, well, luke, and there was no way he actually reciprocated spencer’s feelings. he was just drunk. spencer ran his hands through his hair. he had to be logical, and the logical thing was to understand that luke was intoxicated and was doing things he wouldn’t normally. </p><p><i>luke.</i> he was all spencer could think about. why had he gone into his apartment? why had he stayed? spencer groaned. luke likely wouldn’t remember any of what had happened, and he unfortunately would. he leaned his head onto the steering wheel and sighed. </p><p>the drive home was filled with thoughts of luke. luke’s smile. luke’s hair. he repeated what luke had said over and over again in his mind, every last word and gesture ingrained into his memory. it was all he could do to not get out of the car and go back to the apartment, to grab luke and kiss him like his life depended on it. he gripped the steering wheel tighter as he found his way into his parking spot. </p><p>spencer shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. he had done the one thing he had sworn he wouldn’t do.</p><p>he had fallen <i>so</i> hard.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. now we're stuck in the storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the morning after.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>time to wrap things up with these guys! i struggled with the ending, i didn't know how to send them off right. hope you like how it ended up!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>when spencer awoke the next morning, the memory of the previous night flooded his head. he sighed and pressed his face into the pillows, letting out a long groan. goddamnit. he rolled over and grabbed his phone from the side table. </p>
<p>
  <i>3 unread messages.</i>
</p>
<p>he unlocked his phone to check who they were from. garcia had texted him thanking him for getting her home, emily had texted the team a few pictures from the previous night, and luke- <i>shit.</i> spencer’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of his name lit up on his phone. he chided himself for the rush he felt. <i>what the hell, man? it’s a text.</i></p>
<p>
  <i>- you left your scarf at my place. can i swing by later to drop it off?</i>
</p>
<p>spencer rubbed his hands over his face and frowned at the brief disappointment he felt. god, what was he expecting? a text professing his love? something saying “hey i’m coming over to kiss you”? spencer let out a shaky breath and picked up his phone to reply.</p>
<p>
  <i>- Of course. I’m around all day. </i>
</p>
<p>that was normal, right? spencer’s thumbs twitched. would luke think he was stupid for not having anything to do on a sunday? he itched to send something else, something clarifying why he would be at his apartment all day. an excuse for the non-interesting life he led outside of work. before he could send his justification, his phone pinged, startling him. </p>
<p>
  <i>- awesome. i’ll be by in 30</i>
</p>
<p>spencer ignored how his heart danced when he saw the reply. 30 minutes, and he hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet. he lept into action, getting dressed and trying to tame his ridiculously messed up curls. if anything, luke could <i>not</i> see his drastic bedhead. he got ready in record time, then put on a pot of coffee and straightened up the books in his living room. he knew it was stupid to put so much effort in when luke was just coming to drop something off, but his nervous energy had to be channeled into something. </p>
<p>a knock rang out through the apartment. spencer ran his hands hastily through his hair in an attempt to ensure it wasn’t too bad. he sighed, then reached for the handle and opened the door, putting an <i>everything-is-oh-so-normal</i> smile on his face. </p>
<p>“luke, hey! come in,” he said, opening the door wider and gesturing with one arm. luke gave him a hesitant smile. he walked into the little sitting area of spencer’s apartment, setting the scarf down on the couch.</p>
<p>“do you want any coffee?” spencer asked. “i have a bunch, and it’s the good kind, not like the bland kind they have in the bullpen. well at least, i think it’s good, and jj likes it. plus, it will help with the hangover.” luke chuckled a bit and nodded. </p>
<p>“coffee would be great,” he said. spencer poured himself and luke a mug from the pot he had started earlier, and luke sat at the table in the kitchen, watching him. he tried to clear his mind, since it had decided to repeat all the words luke had said the previous night over and over again. flashes of their closeness, his hands on his waist, how he licked his lips, the look in his eyes when he asked spencer to kiss him-</p>
<p>the sound of luke clearing his throat ripped spencer from his thoughts. he turned around. </p>
<p>“spencer, i, uh,” luke began, his hand absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. spencer’s heart stopped and he felt his face heat up. <i>shit.</i></p>
<p>“about last night-” </p>
<p>“you don’t, uh, have to explain anything,” spencer interjected. “you were drunk, you didn’t mean it, and that’s um, that’s okay.” he looked at the floor, wringing his hands in front of him. he was blushing beet red, hoping the awkwardness would just go away, or luke would say something and it would be over. after a pause, luke stood up and took a stride toward him, and he lifted his head to meet luke’s eyes. spencer was sure he could feel his heart jump into his throat. </p>
<p>“no, spencer, i meant it. i’m glad i was drunk, or i probably wouldn’t have said it. but yeah, i meant it,” he whispered gently, hesitantly. spencer gulped and took a shaky breath, suddenly acutely aware of how close luke was to him. his mouth went dry, and that same heaviness that spencer had felt the night before lay in the air between them. he looked at luke, trying to judge if this was all some sort of joke, waiting for him to pull away laughing, like they always did-</p>
<p>“spencer, can i kiss you?” luke asked, his tone soft and gentle. spencer inhaled sharply, then nodded. he still was half expecting the laughter, the rejection, but it all melted away when luke’s hand came to the side of his face. he looked into spencer’s eyes. for what felt like forever (but lasted three seconds) the two looked into each other’s eyes, not daring to move, and spencer truly felt like the world had stopped. </p>
<p>luke crashed his lips into spencer's. his hand cradled his jaw and spencer's hands tangled into the shorter man’s hair. heat seared between them as luke wrapped his other arm around spencer’s waist, pulling him flush against him. they kissed like they both had wanted to the night before, like they had wanted to for months of hiding their feelings. everything poured into the kiss, and spencer inwardly thanked himself for being so forgetful the previous night. after a moment, luke smiled and pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against spencer’s. spencer gave a small smile. </p>
<p>“i, uh, wasn’t expecting that,” spencer chuckled. his hands had come to wrap around luke’s waist, and he pulled his head back from its position against luke’s. his arms rested on the other man's shoulders.</p>
<p>“i wasn’t either. i can’t believe i said all that stuff last night. i was really trying to hide it. i guess a getting drunk with you wasn’t the best idea,” he admitted, a sheepish smile on his face. spencer laughed.</p>
<p>“i guess it wasn’t. i mean, alcohol considerably impairs your judgement, not to mention it heightens your emotions. that’s part of the reason i don’t drink. i like be sure the decisions i make in any circumstance are fully informed. i worry tha-”</p>
<p>spencer was cut off by a kiss to the corner of his mouth. luke blushed, giggling.</p>
<p>“sorry, i meant to listen, but you’re just too cute,” he explained, head ducking. spencer blushed deeply. his smile grew, wider than it had been in a while. here he was, standing in the middle of his kitchen, luke alvez in his arms. luke traced his fingers along spencer's jaw and he closed his eyes, feeling the calmest he had felt in <i>years</i>. </p>
<p>two phones buzzed in the distance, bursting the bubble that had formed around the two men. they lingered for just a moment before luke pulled his phone out of his pocket. </p>
<p>"man," he groaned, shaking his head. "we've got a case." spencer sighed. serial killers always knew how to kill the mood.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for reading :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>there you have it :) i love these characters and this ship so much it's unreal. leave a comment if you'd like!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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